That evening, in the fourth-floor corridor's restricted area, Ethan casually removed his Disillusionment Charm as if returning to his own home.
Behind the door came several low breathing sounds. That was the original three-headed dog, Fluffy. However, Ethan didn't plan to go in. He was here tonight to set up his mural, but that didn't mean he had to go through the trapdoor.
"Portal."
Ethan gently touched the ground, and a pitch-black doorway immediately opened from the floor, returning the "Portal" artwork to its original purpose: opening a door anywhere and penetrating through objects themselves.
The dark shadow in the middle swirled, then revealed the scene below... a room with a living troll. Quirrell's protection for the Philosopher's Stone, the second-to-last challenge.
Ethan's eyes lit up as he raised the corners of his mouth and smiled: "Guessed right."
The space below the fourth floor was indeed the passage where the Philosopher's Stone was stored! This wasn't hard to figure out. In the original story, Harry and his friends fell through the trapdoor. Therefore, this challenge route must actually exist within the castle.
Using his portal, he could reach it directly by jumping in from above.
Seriously, if they really wanted to protect the Philosopher's Stone, why not create an unbreakable protective charm? Did Dumbledore have to go through all the challenges every time he wanted to check on it?
"Harry, oh Harry, you're being manipulated so blatantly," Ethan shook his head, tsking softly.
After the troll came Snape's potion logic puzzle, and after that, the Mirror of Erised containing the Stone. But since Professor Snape used flames on both sides as barriers, Ethan couldn't paint there. So he could only set up his mural beforehand.
Professor Snape, your carefully designed potion logic test didn't appear in the movie version anyway. Let's skip it once more. Hehe~
Just as Ethan was about to jump through the doorway, an aged and gentle voice came from behind: "Good evening, Mr. Vincent."
Ethan's heart jumped, not because he'd been caught, but because he hadn't sensed the other's approach at all. With his Level 2 Knowledge skill, even if someone used a Disillusionment Charm and approached from behind, Ethan should have noticed.
Just as a person walking inevitably stirs imperceptible dust, magical power would also undergo minute changes.
His thoughts churned. Ethan stood up and turned around. Looking at the white-haired elderly man before him, he smiled: "Good evening, Professor Dumbledore."
Everything seemed so harmonious and appropriate. It would be even better if it weren't during midnight curfew in the fourth-floor restricted corridor.
Behind his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore observed Ethan. From those cobalt-blue eyes, he could only see a brilliant galaxy of stars, unable to find any useful memories.
In some sense, he was indeed quite pure. Purely wanting to express himself through art.
Apart from this point, Ethan was truly a gifted and talented child. Even Dumbledore himself hadn't expected Ethan to actually win first place in the challenge, though the cost was Hogwarts' reputation being somewhat damaged.
Ministry letters flew in like snowflakes, demanding he explain a completely non-existent "special talent training program." This had kept him so busy lately that he'd lost considerable sleep.
Collecting himself, Dumbledore asked kindly: "May I watch from the side?"
"No problem." Ethan readily agreed.
Old Dumbledore must have been moved by his art and specially came to appreciate it. It wasn't in vain that he'd given Dumbledore a small, weakened version of "Call of Erised" for Christmas.
Ethan brought Dumbledore down through the open portal, directly putting the troll to sleep. Then, under Dumbledore's curious gaze, he pulled out scaffolding, bottles of mineral paints, palettes and brush holders, automatic measuring tape, and plumb lines from his leather bag.
This was construction work? Dumbledore was somewhat stunned.
"Green malachite powder, blue lapis lazuli powder, red cinnabar... and dragon blood adhesive for binding, moonstone powder for luminescent effects."
Ethan looked up and said with visible pain: "Do you know how much these expensive art materials cost me? A full 986 Galleons! Every hundred grams of mineral pigment costs several Galleons. One box of dragon blood adhesive dares to charge 150 Galleons!"
Ethan couldn't help but lament. First-tier oil paintings could still use his own magical power as pigment, with minimal expenses. But second-tier murals absolutely required mineral pigments rich in magical power. And those precious minerals were all expensive.
Money-burning... absolutely money-burning! His little treasury had emptied considerably at once!
This was the result of selling the "worthless trinkets" the old goblin casually threw at him. The higher up he went, the more money paintings would consume. Ethan felt a sense of urgency.
Prize money from competitions alone was completely insufficient to support his future advancement. Besides the old goblin's inheritance and getting various supporting families to shower him with gold coins, he needed to consider other money-making methods.
Now that his reputation was growing, perhaps he could consider taking commissions from this mysterious magical world... Sigh~ Money and power... he really wanted to max them out in one go!
Dumbledore smiled: "Are you going to paint at Hogwarts? Well, perhaps I should fund the purchase to encourage young wizards to develop their hobbies."
"Really?" Ethan's eyes lit up, immediately surging with greater motivation. "Then watch... what I'm about to complete is an unparalleled masterwork that will surely become famous alongside Hogwarts for millennia."
Besides money, what Ethan truly craved was that precious, unique Philosopher's Stone. If he could obtain it, it would surely greatly benefit his painting...
Ethan secretly ran his tongue across his teeth in anticipation.
Afterward, Ethan skillfully set up his scaffolding, mixed pigments, transformed his wand into brushes, and worked boldly on the wall.
Dumbledore watched Ethan's movements seriously, unable to suppress a hint of admiration in his eyes. Completely focused, highly concentrated. When painting, Ethan seemed to enter another world. Wholeheartedly immersed in pigments and brushes, constantly filling the blank canvas.
The world knew Ethan was a genius but didn't know the passionate and persistent pursuit behind that genius.
When he saw Ethan take out the exquisite castle model, Dumbledore couldn't help but exclaim in wonder. When Ethan set up swinging blades on the narrow bridge, Dumbledore's smile faded. When Ethan placed giant rolling stones in a narrow passage, Dumbledore's brow furrowed.
When Ethan stuffed living armor on both sides and in front of the narrow bridge, behind wall corners, and before and after single-lane paths, Dumbledore wanted to speak but stopped.
When he saw Ethan pull out the card faintly echoing with dragon roars, Dumbledore placed his hand on Ethan's shoulder: "That's not necessary."
Ethan turned his head, curved his eyes, and smiled: "It's fine; it won't kill him. This is a very powerful and irritable mother dragon. Quirrell can't defeat it."
Dumbledore thought: "..." No, I'm worried about Quirrell.
Watching Ethan release the dragon at the top of the ancient castle, hearing those earth-shaking furious roars, Dumbledore felt his eyelids twitching wildly.
The Quirrell he'd protected for a whole semester wouldn't be eliminated at the final moment, would he?
Never before had Dumbledore pitied an enemy's fate. And this pity reached its peak when he saw the two items Ethan levitated out in the final challenge after the dragon.
Dumbledore could only identify one piece as a bezoar. The other piece... he could only hope for Ethan's continued humanity.
Now Dumbledore felt that Ethan had held back in the challenge, not displaying his full capabilities.
Ethan clapped his hands and said proudly: "Norwegian Ridgeback teeth are poisonous, and bezoar is a universal antidote. This small piece costs 13 Galleons. I'm so thoughtful, even providing Quirrell with healing items."
Giving himself a thumbs up.
Dumbledore thought grimly: "..." After Quirrell... Voldemort... went through Sen Castle once, Ethan Vincent would probably rocket to first place on the "Most Wanted" list. Harry Potter would be second.
Light blue text appeared before Ethan's eyes:
Congratulations! You have successfully completed a second-tier mural!
Name: Sen Castle
Based on various assessment criteria, this painting's grade is...
Second Tier Purple Epic!